Castle of Mist and Forgotten Dreams
by cneko2
Summary: Mukashi, Mukashi...there lived a princess and her son, but the princess died and the child was banished, and now there are rumors of hauntings and jewel shards. Who ya gonna call? Why InuYasha and Co., of course!
1. Prologue: Mukashi, Mukashi

I've always wanted to do a ghost story, and with Halloween coming up on Friday I figured this would be the perfect time. This prologue was written about a year or so ago. Ever since I saw a few particular episodes of InuYasha, I've wanted to do a story about…well, that'll spoil the surprise. I'm sure many of you will be clever enough to figure it out as the story progresses. 

And now for a quick Japanese vocab lesson. Just in case. ^^  _Daimyo_ = a feudal lord who ruled over a _han_, or province , _Hime_ = lit. princess, great lady   

Oh, and remember. Reviews = feeding the author's ego, feeding the author's ego = incentive to write story quicker, writing story quicker = you get to find out what happens and where this is going. 

Disclaimer: Amerikajin desu. Nihonjin ja nai. Therefore, not mine.

_Castle of Mist and Forgotten Dreams_

_Long ago at the base of the __Hiei__Mountains__, not far from our village, there was a palace. It was a lovely palace with sakura trees, lakes, and a beautiful courtyard. All of the court of the regional daimyo were happy and content, for there were no wars in the area, the rice harvest had been fruitful for the past several years, and the area was not home to any dreadful youkai. _

_The daimyo was quite happy for his lands where peaceful and rich, and he had a prize more wonderful than any other: a daughter. A beautiful only child that was his pride and joy. And so they lived happily. _

_But disaster struck the daimyo. His daughter had caught the eye of a Great Demon. She was taken and wedded to the youkai, for she had fallen in love with him as well. The court wept for their Hime-sama, mourning her loss. After many months though, the princess returned to them, but not alone. She carried with her a newborn child, a freak of nature that was half-human like the court's beloved Hime-sama and half demon like her monstrous husband._

_The child was shunned by the court. A monster, they called him. A creature that should have been killed at birth! But for the sake of their gentle Hime-sama, who loved her child dearly, they bore his presence. The daimyo grieved and raged at this turn of events, refusing to acknowledge his grandson's existence. The child grew knowing no kindness towards him, save the love of his mother. _

_One day, word came that his father, the Great Demon, was dead and his mother grieved for the husband she had loved so greatly. Day by day the child watched his mother grow weaker. Hime-sama grew sickly and frail, and then, one night in the light of a full moon she drew her last breath. The child was devastated. He cried silently at night, huddling in the center of the bed he had shared with his mother, but during the day he showed no emotion to the court. "Hateful child!" cried the court as they wailed and mourned loudly. "You show no tears for the loss of the only one who loved you? No sorrow? Wicked little beast! You truly are youkai! Go! Live with the others like you! Find a home with the demons you so belong to! For we stood you only for our Hime-sama's sake and she is no longer here to protect you!"_

_And so the child was exiled, taking with him only the clothes he wore. No one knows what happened to the child. Perhaps he was torn apart by the beasts of the forest. Perhaps he took the rage he felt towards the court and the grief over his mother's death and became a horrible youkai that killed any human he saw. It is unknown. All that is known is that the rooms Hime-sama and her child shared where sealed off and never used again._

_Several years later, a fire started in the palace. The wing that Hime-sama's rooms where in burned, but the fire stopped as it reached the sealed rooms. Some say it was the Hime-sama's love for her child that permeated the rooms and stopped the fire. Others say it was the child's grief over his mother that would not allow the room she died in to burn. It is unknown. All that is known is that rooms did not burn as the others in the wing had. The fire claimed many of the lives of the court. Reconstruction of the wing was possible, but many strange things began to happen after the fire. With so many lives having been lost in the palace, it was decided that the place was cursed and so the rest of the court fled taking with them only what they could carry and fearful to return for the rest._

_The ruins of the palace still stand just north of our village. Many brave young village lads have gone to the ruins on a dare, hopeful to prove their courage, but they come back terrified and refuse to go near the area again. Many Monks have tried to exercise the ruins, but they find nothing to exercise when they reach the area. It is as if the ruins themselves have disappeared. Some claim it is Hime-sama's exiled child come back to his home. Others say it if the vengeful spirits of those who died in the fire. It is unknown. All that is known is that the ruins remain as they are and as they have been for the past many decades._


	2. tsuki no hikari no yume: dreams of moonl...

Here we go, chapter 1.  Oh, and it's not so much for this chapter, but if you want to increase the creep factor, I suggest getting David Lanz's "Christifori's Dream" and playing it on repeat while reading. It's the song I plotted and wrote most of the story to.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. Otherwise InuYasha and Kagome would be very much together and Kikyou would be….well, let's not get into that, shall we?

*****************

Castle of Mist and Forgotten Dreams 

Kagome listened entranced as the storyteller finished her tale. The old woman was a widow and had offered the odd group her hospitality as they passed through the village. There had been rumors of a jewel shard up near the Hiei Mountains, and so they set out on the journey to investigate.  

From the old woman's tale it sounded like they found the place, plus she had learned another story to add to the growing collection of folklore she was doing for class. Kagome sighed, with as much school as she was missing lately, every bit of extra credit helped! Of course, if _some_ people would give her a break and let her return home every now and again…No. Best not to follow that train of thought. That way lay fury and 'osuwari's.  She glanced over at the boy leaning in the doorway, looking out at the moon who had kept unusually quiet during the old woman's tale. He turned and stared at her, giving her the 'what?' scowl. No, that way definitely lay 'osuwari's.

Shippou curled up in her lap, yawning. Yawning, as everyone knows, is contagious and she could feel the exhaustion from the days of difficult traveling they had been doing catching up to her. It did make her feel a bit less like a wimp to see that Sango was in the same state as well. A yawn escaped, and she covered her mouth with a look of embarrassment. The old storyteller smiled, "Come, child. You look ready to sleep as you are, and the little one doesn't seem to be faring much better." She nodded towards the little kitsune who was curled up into a ball of fluff on the miko's lap, making sleepy little noises. "This way." Their hostess slid open a shoji door and ushered them into a room where two futons lay spread out, looking very warm and inviting.

"Only two?" A lecherous grin slowly crossed Miroku's face. "Ah, well. I suppose we shall have to suffer. Sango, shall we prepare for bed?" Despite her exhaustion, the demon exterminator turned bright red and pulled back an arm for a hearty slap to the monk. A cough interrupted them. "My apologizes, Houshi-sama. But I've prepared bedding for yourself and the other young man in the next room." Miroku looked devastated. InuYasha simply snorted and pulled the other from the room as the old woman led them one room over. "Let's go, ya perv." 

Kagome sighed. Well, there at least was one disaster averted for the night. She placed Shippou on the futon and settled herself in. "Sango-chan, are you alright?" The other girl nodded. "Yes, I'm just tired. Don't worry, I'll get that pervert tomorrow." Kagome sweatdropped slightly. "Get some rest, Kagome-chan. I have a feeling InuYasha'll want to head out to those ruins tomorrow." 

"Un. Oyasumi nasai, Sango-chan."

 "Oyasumi nasai, Kagome-chan."

*******************

_She walked down the corridor until she came to a stop in front of a set of shoji doors. She watched as a little hand that couldn't possibly be her own reached and slid the doors apart. "Okaasan?" called out a child's voice. There came no answer. She walked into the room. "Okaasan?" came the call again. The room was richly decorated with hanging scrolls of calligraphy and paintings, a kimono stand stood in the corner with a beautifully embroidered kimono on it, next to it a lacquered chest. She walked over to a painted screen of pine trees in mists of a mountain. Behind the screen lay a woman on a futon. She was beautiful, but deathly pale and her breathing was shallow. "Okaasan?" _

_The woman opened her eyes and smiled up at her. She knelt down, the woman offered out a hand and she took it, her hand once again much smaller than normal. The woman closed her eyes again. The moonlight shone in through the open shoji casting dark, menacing shadows through out the room. The woman took a few last shallow breaths, and was then still, her hand and the smaller one still entwined. "Okaasan?" came the quiet call. Then again. "Okaasan?" A bit louder and more panicked. "Okaasan?!" Finally, a mournful cry into the night. "Okaasan!!" _

Kagome awoke with a start. Her heart beat furiously within her chest as she gasped for breath and then lay still for a moment, simply trying to take in what had happened. The dream had been vivid. Too vivid for comfort and continued sleep. She turned to the left where Shippou slept on, his nose buried in his tail and then to the right were Sango slept peacefully, Kirara curled up near her cheek. Careful not to wake either, she got up and silently slid the door open and then closed it again behind her.

The moon still shone brightly outside, casting shadows like those in her dream. She shuddered. "Kagome? What's wrong?" Turning, she saw golden eyes gleam in the darkness. "I…had a bad dream, that's all. What are you still doing up?" The half demon shrugged. "I heard you, wondered what the hell you'd gotten yourself into this time." Translation: I heard you and was worried about you, she mused. "I'm fine. I just shouldn't have listened to that story right before going to sleep that's all." She sat down on the porch. 

"Story?"

"The one she told us about the Hime and her son."

"Oh. That." InuYasha moved to sit next to her.

She glanced at him. "Maybe I should be the one asking you what's wrong. You've been incredibly quiet since we got to this village." He looked down at his hands, bangs shadowing his eyes. "…………"  "Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts!" He glared at her. "What the hell kind of youkai is scared of ghosts?! I dealt with that brat that died in the fire, didn't I?" Kagome smiled. "I was only teasing." He turned the other way with a 'feh!'. "Are you pouting now?" "No!"

"I think you are."

"Feh!"

"I think you're pouting because I was teasing you about ghosts."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

He spun around to snarl at her and stopped short at the bright smile on her face. She tugged playfully on one silver forelock. "Good night, InuYasha." He blinked at her as she rose and returned to her room. She paused, smiled at him, and then closed the door. Mildly confused, he leaned back against a post, drew on knee up and placed Tetsusaiga so that it leaned against his shoulder. Staring out into the night, an odd expression crossed his face. He then snorted. 

Feh. Ghosts.

****************

Hrmm…that was a bit shorter than I liked, but I didn't particularly have this part planned out. I was just kind of going with the flow. And yes, I know InuYasha seems a bit OOC…just wait. Also, if you're wondering what sort of house they were staying in…eh…think a smaller version of the Fatal Frame mansion. Minus the ghosts. Those don't come until later.

So….feed an author's ego. Hit that shiny review button down there and let me know what you think. Comments will go towards new chapters, Criticism will be thoughtfully considered, and flames…well, flames will either make me cry and never post again, or be used for the benefit of entertaining I and my friends.


	3. Kiri no Mori: Forest of Mist

Let's see, this is going to be rather short, I fear. It's late, and since I was bad and skipped my classes today, I can't do it again tomorrow. Therefore, short chapter. 

Although, I'm so very glad that there are people out there who are reading my stuff. Half the reason I've never really posted much before is because I felt people probably wouldn't be terribly interested in what my imagination throws at me. But apparently there are. Wai! You people rock!

Oh, and I know I've mentioned this before, but if you've got a copy of David Lanz's _Cristofori's__ Dream_, pop it on. It really makes this chapter a heck of a lot creepier.

*********

It seemed as if the very environment itself was attempting to block their way to the ruins of the old castle. Fog curled around them and obstructed their view of the trail. Several times they had to pause to get their bearings, even with the sharp noses of InuYasha, Shippou, and Kirara. The forest through which they traveled was dim, dappled light shone occasionally through the gnarled branches of the old pines.

They had left at a reasonable time from the old widow's house, and there in the village the sun had shone brightly overhead. However the further north they traveled, the cloudier the sky became. The mist had appeared just before they had entered the forest they now traveled through. 

The journey was unusually quiet, for the forest was devoid of even the normal sounds of other creatures. Occasionally, a bird would cry far off in the distance but that was the extent of it. "I feel like I'm in a Kurosawa movie." Kagome said to herself. "A what?" Sango asked. "It's…a sort of way of theater in my time." She replied for lack of a better explanation. "Kurosawa is a well known master of it." How exactly did one go about explaining feudal era samurai drama to those living it daily? "So, they still have Noh and theater during Kagome-sama's time?" Miroku walked up to the two. "Yes, Noh is still around as well as many other types of theater." The conversation continued along this vein until InuYasha, who had been uncharacteristically quiet up until this point growled at them to shut up. 

"What? All we're doing is trying to relieve this depressing atmosphere." Kagome narrowed her eyes at the sliver haired boy in front of her. "I'm trying to hear if there's anything out there in front of us and I can't do it with you idiots yakking away constantly!" "Idiots?! There's nothing out there! We've already passed this tree 3 times and…" her rant died off as realization of what she had just said dawned to her. "We're going in circles." InuYasha nodded. "We've been going in circles for a while now. It's this damned mist! It's throwing all my senses off. This forest is so damned quiet there's nothing to hear to tell me where we're going and the only scents are our own and the mist and pine." He growled and punched the trunk of the nearest tree in frustration. "Why don't we take a break for a little while? Maybe we can find our way better after that." Kagome cast a worried look at the hanyou. "Wai! Break!" Shippou began digging through Kagome's bag for the candy he _knew_ was in there.

"InuYasha, are you alright?" Kagome approached cautiously, in a state like this there was no telling what he was libel to start doing. InuYasha remained standing straight up, bangs shadowing his eyes, fist firmly against the tree next to him. "It's not natural." "What's not?" "The mist. I should at _least_ be able to smell something other than just it and the pine, but there's nothing else out there other than us." She looked around. "It is pretty quiet. Almost as if…" "_Don't. Say. It."_ She blinked at the force of the words. "Okay. I'm kind of hungry, it should be about time for lunch. Why don't you come have some cup ramen?" He glared out into the mist. "I'm not hungry. I'll stand watch instead."

Kagome gaped. InuYasha was refusing instant ramen. Something was so entirely wrong here she didn't know were to begin. Not knowing what else to do, she returned to where Shippou had thoroughly excavated her bag and was happily munching away on Pocky and lollipops. She pulled out a box of instant yaki soba and moodily began preparing hot water. "Kagome-chan?" "Kagome-sama?" "He refused ramen." The monk and the demon exterminator gaped. Shippou's s lollie nearly fell out of his mouth. "Something is very wrong in this forest." Miroku observed. "There are no birds, no other creatures, none of the usual sounds of a forest. It's as if it's…" "_Don't. Fucking. Say it._" The growled out words caused a shiver to go down the spines of everyone in the small circle. "What's wrong with him? InuYasha's more grumpy today than usual." Shippou crawled next to Kagome, looking up at her with a lollie stick hanging out of the side of his mouth. 

She looked over at the Half demon, her eyes sad. "I wish I knew, Shippou-chan. I wish I knew." 

*****************

Lunch was completed in silence; everyone was a bit touchier than normal and none so touchy as the half demon in the lead of the group. InuYasha had barely spoken two words all day aside from growled threats. And those growled threats were much more serious than normal. Kagome was well and truly worried, as was the rest of the odd little group. "This way." He nodded in the direction they had been heading earlier and took off. The others were hard pressed to keep up and the fog intensified suddenly. 

"InuYasha!" Kagome cried out. "InuYasha were are you?" "Kagome-chan?" Sango's voice was right beside her, she held out a hand and felt the demon slayer grasp it. "Kagome, I'm scared! This stuff's creepy." Shippou hid partially under her hair. "It'll be okay, Shippou-chan." "Houshi-sama?" Sango called. "Housh-sama are you…AAIIEE!!" **_SMACK!!_** "Ahahaha…forgive me, Sango. I thought that was your hand." "WHICH PART OF IT FELT LIKE MY HAND?!!!!" Kagome sighed, relieved that at least most of the group was together. But one silver haired, stubborn half youkai was missing. "InuYasha!!!!" She called out again.

*******************

InuYasha was lost. _Really_ lost.  Not that he'd ever admit it. Fog surrounded him on all sides and he could barely see his hand in front of his face. And the others were no where around. _Shit._ _I've done it now. She'll 'sit' me so hard I won't be able to sleep right for days_. He twitched a little at the prospect. 

Stupid rosary beads. 

Stupid command. 

Stupid Kagome. 

"_InuYasha__…_" His ears flicked forward. There in the distance. "Kagome?" He ran forward a bit. "_InuYasha__…_" the voice called again. No. Not Kagome…but familiar. "_InuYasha__…_" "Where the Hell are you? _Who_ are you?"  "_InuYasha__…Over here, come._" 

He ran towards the voice, over a little. To the left, and then…The mist thinned and a figure was visible within it. He squinted, trying to make out details. "Who…?" "_Here. Come here, Inu-chan._" Golden eyes widened in horror as the figure approached and details became clear. "Please…no…not again…" 

************

"InuYasha!!" Kagome winced as her voice broke and cracked yet again. She'd been calling out for that idiot for what seemed like hours, her voice was nearly gone. Where was he?! "Kagome, stop. He'll hear us if he's around. You're hurting yourself." Shippou gave her the 'I'm-Ever-So-Cute-Won't-You-Do-As-I-Ask' look. "But, he…" her voice broke again. "Kagome-chan, Shippou-chan is right. He'll hear. Please, you're loosing your voice and need to rest it." Sango squeezed her hand reassuringly within the thickness of the fog. Kagome sighed and nodded. They continued trodding on within the fog. 

Finally, it cleared just as the forest ended. And there, standing with his back to them looking out over the distance, was InuYasha. "InuYasha!" Kagome ran forward. "You jerk! What's the big idea running off ahead of us and getting lost like…" She trailed off as the boy turned to her. His golden eyes were…there was only one word she could come up with.

 _Haunted_.

 "InuYasha…are you alright?" She placed a hand on his shoulder. Still looking at her with those haunted golden eyes he pointed a little was out into the distance, where the remains of what must have been a once grand palace sprawled out. The entire right section was a charred ruin and the rest in various states of disrepair and abandonment. 

"We're here."

******************

Woo…ever had one of those things that just kind of wrote itself? This did. Omigawd it was eerie. No clue where this was going, I just popped on _Cristofori's__ Dream_, started typing, and then bam. Here it was. 

Oh, and if you're wondering about Kagome's statement on Kurosawa movies. Heh. I just watched 'Throne of Blood' in class. I blame that. Come to think of it. I blame it for the misty forest too.

I swear! There _will_ be ghosts in the next part. I just had to get them here first.

So…want more? Review! It makes me write faster, since I'm obsessive over how many people will actually read my stuff.


	4. shiro no omoide: Castle of Memories

Geeze….I was suppose to post this yesterday, but I stayed out late at a friend's watching _The Ring_ and _The Frighteners_ and was too tired to finish it once I got home. ^^;;; Ahehehe…yes. I suck. I know.

Here's where the story picks up hopefully. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and offered criticism thus far. I really appreciate it. Although, I should probably explain something. I have a tendency to get my stories more in dialogue than detail, I see them in my head and so _I_ know who's talking and what they're saying, but I have a hard time portraying that in text. I've tried a little to fix it this chapter, but I fear it's just part of my writing style. Sumimasen. 

********

The ruins were a sad thing, a fallen tribute to past glories and beauty. But as sad as they were, there was an eerie stillness that hung in the air, making them more unnerving than tragic. The grounds around were completely silent, not even the whispering of the wind or the sounds of the bugs broke the silence.  Mist closed in behind them as the group moved onward. InuYasha took the lead, marching stoically and silent as the air around them. Silver bangs shadowed golden eyes still haunted by whatever had occurred in the mists of the forest. Kagome stayed next to him the entire time; this poor haunted creature was not the InuYasha she knew, but needed her all the same, perhaps more so. Shippou clung to Kagome, the prevailing mood forcing even the kit to silence. Miroku, Sango and Kirara in her large form brought up the rear, keeping the forward three well within sight, not wanting a repeat of the forest.

They approached what looked to have once been the gates and wall of the palace. The wooden posts were decaying and broken in many places, whole sections felled and moss covered, leaving the castle open for any who wished to enter. The metal of the large gates was rusted solid, the doors eternally in a half opened, half closed position. InuYasha paused before the gates, his eyes still shadowed so that Kagome could not tell what thoughts were going through the hanyou's mind. "Let's go." He said in a harsh voice, and stepped forcefully through the opened section of gate. 

Inside was a large courtyard, overgrown and running wild. Grasses and planted flowers grew where they pleased along side weeds. In the corner, a lone sakura tree reached its bear, twisted branches up to the sky.  To the right were what must have been stables or servants quarters, the roof had collapsed leaving them blocked and impenetrable. Ahead lay the main entrance, the wooden beams rotting and covered with moss, the thin wood of the shoji weatherworn and broken. Portions of the outer lying porch had large holes within or had collapsed much like the stable roof. 

"Where is it?" 

Kagome blinked. 

"The shard." InuYasha clarified, tightening a fist. "Where is it?"

Under normal circumstances, Kagome would have been quite miffed that he was using her nothing but a glorified shard detector. But circumstances were anything but normal. He wanted out of here, and as quickly as possible. Well, so did she for that manner. Something about this place struck her as not right, and it was affecting him more than anything she'd ever seen before. She _looked_ and _felt_ around using that other sense that came so naturally. "It's…I don't see one. Not out here anyway. Maybe inside…?" She immediately regretted the suggestion as he went completely ridged. 

"InuYasha, you don't have to. I mean, Sango and I can go and…"Miroku began, but was cut off. "_Fine._" The boy stalked up the stairs and threw aside the shoji, leaving the rest of the group to cast each other worried looks behind him. "Kagome! Let's _go_!" he barked, causing her to start and glare furiously at him. Scared or not, another command like that was going to get him a first class 'osuwari'. She scurried up the stairs after him. "Hey! I am _not_ your all purpose shard detect…" He was already stalking down the left side of the castle, determined to look no where but straight ahead. 

"Are you evening _listening_ to me?!" she ran to catch up with him, wincing slightly as pain flared in her still raw throat.  "Anything?" His voice was emotionless. Growling internally, she reached out a hand and grabbed the red fabric of his kimono, yanking him to a stop. "What is _wrong_ with you? You've been acting strange ever since that village. I get it, this place is creepy. It's been creeping me out ever since we got here, but that is no excuse to…" "DAMNIT! JUST TELL ME IF THERE'S A FUCKING SHARD AROUND HERE OR NOT!!" He roared, flashing fangs and slapping her away. 

Kagome backed up until she was against the wall, her brown eyes wide with fear. Shippou squeaked and ran down the hallway, diving behind Miroku who was just catching up to the couple. "I…I…" She could hear her voice trembling and felt tears welling up in her eyes. She had faced him down as a full blooded demon, had faced him down when he was after her blood, but she'd been so scared of him that she had cried before. It was this place, it _had_ to be this place. Sliding down the wall, she felt a tear make its way down her cheek, and somewhere in the background she heard Sango and Miroku approach, but none of it really registered. The only thing that registered was the pair of golden eyes that were round with shock and self loathing staring into hers.

 _What did I just do? What did I just do?_ The thought raced through his mind over and over again as he watched her slump to the floor, still staring up at him with fear-filled brown eyes. A single tear escaped those eyes and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. "Kagome, I…" he knelt in front of her and reached out a hand to wipe that damning tear away. The hand, however, never got that far. "Nothing there." She whispered. It caused him to pause and confusion to cross his face. "What?"

"There's nothing." She was still whispering. "No shikon shard." 

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, can we please go now?"

He nodded. This place…this place had caused too much pain already. It wasn't worth it. Even if there _was_ a shard lying somewhere around here. "We'll return to the village." He offered her a hand up. She accepted, still trembling slightly he noticed with a small wince of pain. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean…" he said in a low voice. "It's this _place_…it's doing something to all of us." she murmured in reply, letting him know he was forgiven. The boy turned to the monk and the demon hunter, arm still around the girl by his side. Sango looked worried. This did not bode well. 

"I…don't think we can."

InuYasha inhaled sharply. "What do you mean?"

"The mist…it was closing in when we reached the gates, but as Kirara and I were entering the palace itself, it had reached within the walls. It's just as thick, if not thicker than what we encountered coming out of those woods."

InuYasha stalked past the monk and Sango, directly back to the main entrance door. Looking out, he saw that the girl hadn't been over exaggerating. It was getting dark and the mist had covered the courtyard so entirely that he couldn't even make out two steps from the bottom of the stairs. They had two choices now. One, go out into the mist and risk getting separated and completely lost. Or two, stay in the ruins and wait until the sun burned the mist off enough that they could make their way back to the village tomorrow. 

"_Shit_!" he slammed a fist into the wooden beam next to him. "I do believe that means we're staying here tonight." Miroku said dryly from behind him.

****************

It was easier said than done. In most of the larger rooms the floorboards had either rotted through creating large holes, or were either similar states of non welcome. The idea of splitting into two smaller groups hadn't even been voiced; no one wanted any of the others out of sight. 

"We're never going to find a place to sleep!" Shippou cried in frustration from his perch on Miroku's shoulder. "Well…there is the other wing." Kagome suggested reluctantly. "All the rooms there were consumed by the fire, I highly doubt they'd be anymore suitable, Kagome-sama." Miroku pointed out as they walked back to the main entrance area. Kagome remained silent for a long moment and then spoke again. "Not all. Remember the story the old woman told us? The Princess's rooms were untouched by the fire."

It was long dark by this time, and Kagome had earlier dug a flashlight out of her bag. She aimed the beam in the direction of the burned wing. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to look." Sango agreed. "Very well then, let us try the right wing." Miroku nodded walking towards said wing. InuYasha remained silent. 

The wing was damp and still smelled heavily of charred wood and smoke even after all these decades. Kagome's flashlight created grotesque shadows along what was left of the corridors and ceiling. Some large areas were burnt to mere beams and hole riddled flooring, as Sango had discovered the hard way by falling into one. Her foot had sunk in and she had nearly broken her ankle, save for Miroku grabbing her before she could fall. The fact that he had grabbed her around the bust to save her was purely accidental. Really. Well, it was a sweet gesture despite the large hand mark his cheek now sported. Or so he thought.

Finally, the group made it past the last hazardous patch of burned wood and in front of them stood a shoji door that appeared to be in perfect condition save a large layer of dust and some fading of the wood. Miroku stepped forward and slid the shoji open, as Kagome shined her flashlight into the room. 

It was amazing. 

The room was completely untouched by the elements. A thick layer of dust covered everything, as it did in all the other whole rooms, but this room showed no sign of decay. A few cobwebs hung in corners, but other than that the room was fine. And quite large enough to fit them all comfortably. 

A painted screen lay in a far corner and up a bit, along the middle of the left wall was a large wooden kimono stand with a beautifully embroidered, yet dust laden Kimono hanging on it. To the left of that, a large lacquered chest. A table stood along the right wall, on it several finely made dolls, a mirror and combs, and a small box as well as several small bottles. Rich paintings and calligraphy scrolls hung on the walls. 

It all seemed so very familiar…and then Kagome realized it. This was the room from the odd dream she had had the night in the village. The room where…She heard a faint whimper from next to her. She glanced over at InuYasha, and blinked in shock at what she saw. The boy looked as if he wanted to break down into tears, but pride was preventing him. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the chambers, golden eyes surveyed the room, flickering to each corner and item in turn. His breathing sped up, he was near hyperventilating and…he had that haunted look in his eyes again. 

Kagome handed the flashlight over to Miroku. "Here, you and Shippou-chan and Sango-chan go look around to make sure there are no unnoticeable rotten areas or anything else unpleasant." The monk gave her a curious look, and she quickly cut her eyes to the near panicking hanyou and then back to Miroku. Sango caught on immediately. "Come on, Houshi-sama. Let's make sure there's nothing nesting in here, I don't want to deal with a family of rats again." Realization dawned in the monk's eyes. "Ah, yes, Sango, let's. Dark corners have so many other useful purposes as well." "Houshi-sama!! There's child present!" "Hey, I'm not a kid!" came the squeaky little voice of the Kitsune on Miroku's shoulder.

She placed a hand on the silver haired boy's shoulder and gently led him to the corner of the room farthest away from the other three. "InuYasha?"  In response, he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "This is it. This is where she died." His voice sounded dead. Before she could respond, the emotional dams broke.  He reached out and hugged her close, burying his face in her shoulder. "This is where she died…Kagome, I can't do this! I can't stay here, not in this room…the palace was bad enough, but not in _this_ room! Not in the place were Ofukuro died!" 

_Ofukuro__…? That means…_

She wrapped an arm around his waist and stroked his hair soothingly with her free hand. "It was you, wasn't it? The tale the old woman in the village told us…you were the Hime's child." _You were the one I dreamed of._ She left that unsaid though, as she felt him nod against her shoulder. 

"I hated this place. I hated everyone in it, except Ofukuro. And then…I was there, Kagome. I was in the room, watching and holding her hand as she took her last breath. I…I can't…Stay with me, Kagome? Please? Don't leave me alone in here. Might be able to…not alone though…can't…alone…" He broke off into soft whimpers.  Oh, he sounded so small and lost. Like a little boy who was calling out for his mother, only to find her missing.

_Oh, InuYasha…why didn't you tell me?_ She held him closer, still stroking his hair. "Of course, I'll stay. We're all staying. You, me, Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. We're all staying here together. No one will leave you alone." She felt him nod slightly again, and then, so softly she thought she had imagined it at first. "…don't go…" She nearly cried, what had this boy been through in this place? "I'm right here, InuYasha. I'll always be here. I'm not going anywhere." She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, and if the others noticed InuYasha's breakdown, they never said anything. Something for which they were both grateful.

****************

Sometime during the night, Kagome awoke feeling a bit crowded. Shippou was curled up near her head, so what was that warmth against her back? She turned and saw InuYasha curled up next to her, his arm loosely around her. She nearly 'osuwari'ed him out of embarrassment and rage, but then a name slipped past the sleeping boy's lips. "Ofukuro…"

_He thinks I'm his mother…that he's a little pup again curled up to sleep with his mom._ With a sigh, she rearranged the bedding and closed her eyes again. 

"_Inu-chan__…_" 

Her eyes shot open. What had that been?

"_Inu-chan__…_" 

Lifting her head as much as she dared without waking the two sleeping boys around her, Kagome looked around the room. The room was dark, Sango slept on to her left with Kirara curled up by the huntress's head. The painted screen separated Miroku from the girls, but he wouldn't do something like this as a cruel joke.

"_InuYasha__…_" 

Next to her, InuYasha sighed and cuddled closer. "Ofukuro…" Kagome frowned. Surely not…

"_Inu-chan__, come to Okaasan…_" 

Kagome saw a misty light out of the corner of her eye, beyond the screen. InuYasha began moving slowly, as if getting up like a sleepy child. 

"_Come to Okaasan, Inu-chan…_" 

"Ofukuro…?" InuYasha raised his head. Kagome grabbed his hand. "InuYasha, wake up!" she hissed. He didn't comply. "InuYasha!"

"_Come to Okaasan…_" 

Kagome took a deep breath and hoped he won't get mad at her later. "Osuwari!" she whispered. His head thudded softly against the wooden floor, not enough to hurt since he had already been mostly on the ground, but there had been enough force to wake him. She turned to were the light had been. It flickered out the moment he woke. "Kagome…?" He looked at her in sleepy confusion for a moment, then down at the cuddling position they were in and his hand, which she still had a firm grasp on. A blush crawled over his face, visible even in the weak moonlight. Kagome turned bright red and released his hand like a hot coal. He scooted quickly away from her, attempting not to wake the others. Too late.

"InuYasha, if you're going to take advantage of Kagome-sama this late at night could please take it to another room? Some of us would like to sleep…and not be reminded that they will not be receiving the same luxury." Miroku said with a yawn. "It wasn't like that!" the two accused denied in stereo. 

"InuYasha, you're as bad as Miroku…" Shippou sat up blearily and looked at the crimson faced hanyou. Sango yawned. "Kagome-chan, are you alright?" Kagome fidgeted still red faced. "Yes…but…we've got problems." 

"Oh?" Miroku peered around the screen. The miko nodded, keeping her eyes firmly on her sleeping bag. "Just now, in here…I saw a ghost." Sango and Miroku blinked in surprise. "So this place is truly haunted? That's interesting. That's very interesting." Miroku settled into traditional 'I-am-intrigued-and-wish-to-contemplate-this' pose. "Any clues as to whom our resident spirit is?" he asked. Kagome was silent for a bit; she looked at the boy next to her, who blinked giving her the 'what'd I do' look. Finally taking a deep breath, she spoke. "Yes. I think…InuYasha…that it was your mother."

*************

Muwahahahahahahahaha!!!! The truth is revealed!!! Kudos to you who already guessed where this was heading. ^_^  

And yes, how many can now picture Miroku as Captain Jack Sparrow thanks to the 'that's very interest' there in the last paragraph? ……*crickets* Eh…maybe it was just me.

Okay, maybe this chapter seemed a little on the mushy/fluff side, but I kinda felt it need to go there. I mean, InuYasha's been putting up this huge front since they started towards this castle, so somethings gotta give ya know? 

*giant neon sign reading 'Hopeless Romantic' with arrow pointing downward appears overhead* Okay, so maybe that had something to do with it too. *whistles innocently*

There are parts of this chapter I'm not happy with, so I may go back and redo them later on. We'll see. 

Err…I'm not sure when I'll get the next part of this out. I've kinda got planned out what's going on, but sitting down to type it will be an entirely different story. Who knows, maybe I'll get it out tomorrow. Although, that's about as likely as Sango getting through a chapter without getting groped by Miroku. (Which, yes, I _do_ do that on purpose…I like to kind of think of it as a running comic relief during an otherwise too serious story. Therefore, Miroku must grope/hit on Sango at least once a chapter. Gomen, Sango-chan. ^^;;) 


End file.
